


A normal night... almost

by tsmagnumm



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Melendaire, platonic freindship as they like to call it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:03:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22912180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsmagnumm/pseuds/tsmagnumm
Summary: Dash asked Claire on a date.My take on what happens with this storyline(based on the 3.17 CTV promo)
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 7
Kudos: 89





	A normal night... almost

Claire had been off for the past few hours, nothing that would directly affect her job but it was enough for Neil to notice. Maybe because he used to watch her while she wasn't looking, just to check on her.

Neil went to the locker room - he knew she would be there - hoping to see her alone so they could talk at least a bit.

Claire was sitting at the bench, her head down when he entered the room. She was looking at something that was on her hand, a little box full of what looked like papers and pictures.

"Hey you". Neil greeted, his voice low so they could easily change the subject if someone else came in.

"Hey." Claire smiled at him. She was truly happy they could talk now. Working together and not acting like they were friends was hard enough.

Neil smiled back and came to sit near her, his look bending over the box she was holding for a moment, then back to her face. She wasn't looking back at him.

"Penny for your thoughts." He broke the silence, knowing something was bothering her.

"Those are memories… from Kay." Claire holds a picture of a very young her and Kayla, both smiling and holding each other in a thigh hug. "Dash gave it to me last night."

She hands him the picture as his face hardened a little bit. 

Neil stared at the picture for a moment before looking back at her with a smile on his face.

"It's great that Dash let yo--"

"He asked me on a date." Claire stopped whatever speech Neil was about to give her. Deep inside she couldn't stand hearing him talking about Dash anymore, it was weird how much he insisted that Dash is a great person.

"And what did you say?" He stopped smiling but his voice was still soft. He knew she wasn't comfortable with the situation and he understood it. For some reason it made him swallow hard.

"I said I didn't know if I was able to go. It feels so weird." Claire's eyes were searching for his, maybe looking for approval... or just some light.

"Well, you should go for it." It doesn't take long for his answer to come, which leaves her a little bit shocked. His voice was steady, he seemed sure of what he said.

"He just gave me all these memories about my dead best friend… his wife, Neil!" the arguments she used were really pertinent, not that Neil didn't know about that. He also knew how divided she was between keeping Kayla's memory alive and having a special night with a longtime friend. "It's really hard to separate his image from Kayla's."

He nodded agreeing with her. His gaze flew over the photo he held between his fingers. A smile starting again on his lips, a melancholier one.

"You are an amazing person, Claire." He doesn't look directly at her but he can feel her gaze burning on him. "And you were an amazing friend for Kayla."

He looks at her for a moment, their eyes locked on each other. Claire knew it was true. Neil swallows hard again, knowing that he was encouraging her to go out with Dash, aware of what this could entail in the not-too-distant future.

"You deserve to have a normal night with someone." He concludes and Claire doesn't look away from him, almost as if she is truly locked into his words and his intense staring gaze. "No need to hide or anything." He smiles, trying to relieve the tension that was settled in the air in the past few minutes.

He fails.

Neil's statement wouldn't be something big if there weren't so many unspoken feelings between the two of them.

It hit them both in a very unsual spot, he only realizes that after the words come out of his mouth.

"Neil." His name is the only thing Claire says before she sees her friend get up from the bench. A look and an equally tired smile took over his face.

"You should really go, Claire." He says in a firm, low voice, returning the photo to the box. "You deserve this."

* * *

Melendez was at home and something seemed strangely out of place. He had already switched the center table, decentralizing it. The kitchen cabinet also looked badly organized.

The truth is, this was one of the first nights he didn't spend alongside with Claire. More than that, she was with someone else. Having fun. And he was... well, he had a glass of whiskey in hand, sitting on the kitchen island and trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with his kitchen cabinet, maybe he would buy a new one.

Shortly after filling his glass with another shot of whiskey, his oven signals that the pasta he has prepared is ready.

Pesto pasta. It was a small portion but enough for two people and he only realize it when he brings the dish to the island. He would save it for the next day.

Before picking up a plate and cutlery, Neil decides to move the center table to its original place in front of the sofa.

The doorbell rings, it is single a ring accompanied by three light knocks on the door that he recognized so well. _Claire_.

He leaves his glass on the recently moved table, running to the door and opening it.

Claire is standing with a shoulder against the outer frame of his door. In her hands and inside a paper bag, she carries a bottle of wine.

Dash had left that bottle for her before leaving again, he left a simple yellow post-it inside the box.

_'enjoy it with someone special.'_

Obviously, she had removed the post-it and exchanged the stylish gift box for a paper bag. Unconsciously, she tried to make this moment not so significant... she knew it was.

"Is your date already finished?" Neil asks after looking from head to toe, also leaning on the door frame.

"Can you tell?" Claire asks provocatively, releasing an exasperated laugh before explaining herself. "Turns out I don't want to have a normal night… whatever the hell this might be."

He just nods before giving her room to come inside "I guess I just like a lot to hide with you." Claire says as soon as he closes the door again.

They didn't need to say anything more, in fact, they've often communicated like that. Neil smiles found hers. Deep down he was grateful that she was here.

"I brought wine," she takes the bottle out of the bag, lifting the bottle up to her face "I figured you would've cooked something."

She laughs at their inside joke, remembering how Neil had made a point of cooking for both of them instead of asking for delivery, like she had suggested.

Neil smiles as he passes by her and points towards the island where they used to eat "in this case, make yourself at home."

**Author's Note:**

> heeey I'm finally back with another story for melendaire! hope you guys liked it. It's just a piece but I absolutely loved to write it, would love even more to hear your thoughts about it <3


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